Biman defers Dhaka-NY airlink restoration
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Mashiur Rahaman
The state-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines is going to delay its planned air-link restoration in Dhaka-New York route from November 24. It now expects to resume flights in the route by the end of December this year, a top Biman official said.
"We are planning to resume the Dhaka-NY operation by December-end, instead of earlier announced date," Biman's Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Air Commodore (Retd) Muhammad Zakiul Islam told the FE.
Admitting the delay due to the unavailability of aircraft on time Mr Islam said the national flag carrier will start again operation in this route with newly leased 323-seater Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft.
The Biman's CEO&MD earlier said his office aims to start flying to NY from November, once a week. He also said it will short-lease a 225-seater Boeing 767 for six weeks to resume flights on a temporary basis.
But the negotiation to take the Boeing 767 aircraft on lease failed over price argument, and this threatened the Biman to face suspension of air-frequency and landing slots allotment to Biman by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the USA.
FAA threatened to suspend allotted air-frequency and landing slots if it failed to resume operation on Dhaka-New York route by the November deadline.
"We have successfully obtained FAA deadline extension," Mr Islam said adding that it will allow the national flag carrier of Bangladesh to take some more time to resume the commercial air-route operation to New York.
With this new plan, Biman will be able to avoid expending additional amount for taking another aircraft on short lease, he added.
Lisbon-based Euro Atlantic Airways offered US$5600 per block hour for the short-lease of a Boeing 767 aircraft. Biman has finalised taking two 323-seater Boeing 777-200ER aircraft from the same company for four years, targeting mainly to operate in Dhaka-NY route. But the leasing company was unable to deliver any of their aircraft before December 2009 as per agreement.
Over 200,000 Bangladeshis live in the USA who have been demanding resumption of the air operation for long. The national flag carrier cancelled its flights in this particular route at the end of 2006 amid operating loss to the tune of Tk 7.5 million (Tk 75 lakh) per flight. Biman used to operate two weekly flights to New York by DC 10-30 aircraft.
Restoration of this particular air-operation was a part of the election manifesto of the ruling Awami League government. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit personally assured non-resident Bangladeshis living in NY early this year of meeting their demand of Dhaka-NY operation by the national flag carrier prior to December 2009.
The state-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines is going to delay its planned air-link restoration in Dhaka-New York route from November 24. It now expects to resume flights in the route by the end of December this year, a top Biman official said.
"We are planning to resume the Dhaka-NY operation by December-end, instead of earlier announced date," Biman's Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Air Commodore (Retd) Muhammad Zakiul Islam told the FE.
Admitting the delay due to the unavailability of aircraft on time Mr Islam said the national flag carrier will start again operation in this route with newly leased 323-seater Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft.
The Biman's CEO&MD earlier said his office aims to start flying to NY from November, once a week. He also said it will short-lease a 225-seater Boeing 767 for six weeks to resume flights on a temporary basis.
But the negotiation to take the Boeing 767 aircraft on lease failed over price argument, and this threatened the Biman to face suspension of air-frequency and landing slots allotment to Biman by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the USA.
FAA threatened to suspend allotted air-frequency and landing slots if it failed to resume operation on Dhaka-New York route by the November deadline.
"We have successfully obtained FAA deadline extension," Mr Islam said adding that it will allow the national flag carrier of Bangladesh to take some more time to resume the commercial air-route operation to New York.
With this new plan, Biman will be able to avoid expending additional amount for taking another aircraft on short lease, he added.
Lisbon-based Euro Atlantic Airways offered US$5600 per block hour for the short-lease of a Boeing 767 aircraft. Biman has finalised taking two 323-seater Boeing 777-200ER aircraft from the same company for four years, targeting mainly to operate in Dhaka-NY route. But the leasing company was unable to deliver any of their aircraft before December 2009 as per agreement.
Over 200,000 Bangladeshis live in the USA who have been demanding resumption of the air operation for long. The national flag carrier cancelled its flights in this particular route at the end of 2006 amid operating loss to the tune of Tk 7.5 million (Tk 75 lakh) per flight. Biman used to operate two weekly flights to New York by DC 10-30 aircraft.
Restoration of this particular air-operation was a part of the election manifesto of the ruling Awami League government. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit personally assured non-resident Bangladeshis living in NY early this year of meeting their demand of Dhaka-NY operation by the national flag carrier prior to December 2009.